“Cyrano de
Bergerac”
Study Guide
Acts II.-V.
Directions
 Answer at least ONE
question for each act in a
comment
 If any questions are left
unanswered by these
questions will not be
reviewed
 More than one question may
be answered for a given act
Act II
What is the setting at the
beginning of Act II?
What kinds of people
frequent the place?
How does this reflect
Cyrano’s values?
What is oddly poetic about
Ragueneau’s product
packaging? What
commentary does this
make about both the
owner and his financial
situation?
What condition is
Cyrano in at the start of
this act? What event
caused this?
What does Cyrano use
to keep the Duenna
busy? How does this
comment on his
feelings regarding this
meeting?
What kind of past do
Cyrano and Roxanne
have together?
Compare and contrast
each character’s view
of this shared past.
Which character is
Roxanne interested in
romantically? What is
it about this character
that makes Roxanne
have these feelings?
What promise does
Roxanne coax out of
Cyrano? Who is
involved in it?
Describe the meeting
between Cyrano and
Christian. Why does it
astonish those who
witness it?
What problem is
bothering Christian?
What is it about him
that prevents him from
solving this problem?
What kind of bargain do
Cyrano and Christian come
to? What item of Cyrano’s is
used to complete the deal?
What does this say about
Cyrano’s level of
commitment?
What kind of bargain do
Cyrano and Christian come
to? What item of Cyrano’s is
used to complete the deal?
What does this say about
Cyrano’s level of
commitment?
Act III
What is the subtitle of
Act IV? How does this
compliment the
setting? What do we
learn has happened to
Ragueneau’s fortunes?
How does Roxane
describe Christian to
Cyrano? How might
this conversation both
please and displease
Cyrano?
What new information is
learned about De Guiche?
What is his relationship
with Roxane? With
Cyrano? Where is he
going and how does this
change people’s plans?
How does Roxane’s
plan for “revenge”
change things for
Cyrano? Who else will
it affect?
What is Christian’s new
plan for his arrangement
with Cyrano? When
called upon what phrase
does he repeat? What
response does this cause
in Cyrano?
What are some of the
things that Christian’s
love for Roxane is
compared to? How does
language play a part in
the comparisons and in
the scene?
After the torrid professions
of love, whom does
Roxane offer a kiss to?
What does Cyrano think
of this? What are
Christian’s thoughts?
Who sends a letter to
Roxane? What things
come along with this
letter and how is its
message altered?
How do Cyrano and De
Guiche come into contact
at the end of this act and
why? What are the six
different “reasons” that
Cyrano gives for his
conduct?
What is revealed at the end
of this act? Where are
people traveling to now
and which characters are
going? What new
promises does Cyrano
make to Roxane?
What is revealed at the end
of this act? Where are
people traveling to now
and which characters are
going? What new
promises does Cyrano
make to Roxane?
Act IV
What is the setting at the
beginning of Act IV?
How does this make
Cyrano’s promise from
Act III difficult?
What kind of fate would
Cyrano receive rather
than their current
situation?
How do the Cadets feel
about De Guiche?
What do they say that
gives you this
impression?
What recent actions of De
Guiche does Cyrano take
issue with? How does
Cyrano say that he would
have acted? What item does
he use to humiliate De
Guiche in front of the
Cadets?
How does De Guiche’s
means of “exchanging
information” exact his
revenge?
Which character comes
to the camp? What
actions allow this
character passage
there?
How does a steward and
coachman improve the
mood of the Cadets?
How is he able to do
this?
Why did Roxane love
Christian at first? How
have her reasons
changed? Why?
Why do Cyrano and
Christian quarrel?
What does Christian
want Cyrano to do?
What happens to
Christian after this?
As he leaves, what two
deaths does Cyrano
claim to have to
avenge? What does he
mean by this?
Act V
What is the setting at the
beginning of Act V? What
kind of a place does the
scene occur in? What
characters do we not
know about at this time?
What kind of
“punishment” does
Mother Marguérite use
that involves Cyrano?
What does this tell us
about Cyrano?
What other information is
revealed about Cyrano in
the nuns’ conversation?
What is revealed about
Roxane? De Guiche?
What item of Christian’s
does Roxane still keep?
Why?
Which “false” people
does Cyrano attack?
What is Le Bret’s
actual cause for worry
about Cyrano?
Why does De Guiche
admire Cyrano? How
does this emphasize the
difference in their
situations? What warning
does De Guiche give for
Cyrano?
What are some of the
different jobs
Ragueneau has had?
What information does
he bring concerning
Cyrano?
How does Cyrano’s teasing
of the nuns change with
this visit to Roxane? Who
is his visitor that he must
go to?
What natural thing does
Cyrano compare his
situation to? What does
Cyrano read to Roxane?
How does this reading
give its meaning new
significance?
What is it that Cyrano
thinks is ready to take
him away? Which
“ancient enemies” revisit
Cyrano?
What has Roxane lost
twice? What is the one
thing of Cyrano’s that is
without stain and
unspotted from the
world?